Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Why Did They Suddenly Come Over

"Hurt Mommy’s feelings?" Jasmine’s little eyebrows crinkled into a frown. "When did we do that?"

"Yesterday." Zane sighed, full of self-reproach. "Oh, Mommy must have been so sad."

"We did?" Jasmine hadn’t realized.

Distress was written all over Zane’s innocent face. "It was when I asked Mommy why we don’t have a daddy."

It dawned on Jasmine, and her eyes shot wide open. "Oh, right!"

"Mommy must have been so heartbroken." The thought made Zane miserable. "I’m the worst. I can’t believe I made Mommy sad."

"What do we do?" Jasmine looked worried. "I cried yesterday, so I made Mommy sad, too."

Zane pursed his lips, his brow furrowed in thought, and said nothing.

Jasmine was so upset she started to cry. "Zane," she sobbed, "I don’t want Mommy to be sad... WAHHH."

"I’ll think of something." Zane patted his sister’s head to comfort her. "Don’t cry."

Jasmine sniffled. "We’re both just awful for making Mommy sad."

Hearing his sister, Zane’s own eyes welled up with tears. "You’re not awful. I was the one who started it."

He turned, grabbed a tissue, and wiped away his sister’s tears.

"What’s wrong?" a worried voice called out.

Zane and Jasmine whipped their heads toward the door and cried in unison, "Auntie."

Renee Jennings had set an early alarm specifically to check on the two little ones, but she hadn’t expected to find them with tear-filled eyes.

She rushed over to them. "Zane, Jasmine, why are you crying?"

"Auntie, I made Mommy sad yesterday, and I don’t know what to do," Zane said, blaming himself. "Can you help me think of a way to fix it?"

"Yeah, Auntie," Jasmine pleaded. "Can you help me and Zane?"

Renee Jennings looked down at their tear-streaked faces. Her heart ached for them, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride.

’I’ve gone from being the villainess my niece and nephew feared to the aunt they rely on.’

She leaned down, ruffled their hair, and said with a small smile, "Alright. I’ll help you come up with a plan."

"That’s great!"

"Thank you, Auntie!"

The two children, who had just been consumed by sadness, instantly broke into joyful smiles.

Seeing that they had stopped crying, Renee Jennings breathed a sigh of relief.

"Auntie, so what’s your great idea to make Mommy not be sad anymore?" Zane asked, looking up at her, his innocent face a mixture of nervousness and hope.

Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow, a mysterious glint in her eye. "Auntie does, in fact, have a very good plan."

Jasmine’s eyes lit up instantly. "Auntie, what is it? What’s the plan?"

Renee Jennings grinned. "The plan is simple: if you two are happy, Mommy will be happy, too."

"Is that how it works?" A look of confusion crept onto Zane’s face.

Renee Jennings nodded. "That’s exactly how it works."

Zane and Jasmine looked at each other, their large, dark eyes, like black pearls, filled with curiosity and surprise.

"If you don’t believe me, just try it in a little while," Renee Jennings said. "If Mommy sees you two smiling, she’ll smile too, I guarantee it."

"Okay." Zane and Jasmine both nodded earnestly.

Renee Jennings helped them get washed and dressed, then led them out of the room by the hand, running right into Rhea Dempsey at the doorway.

"Morning, gorgeous~" Renee Jennings said, tilting her head and winking, her voice dripping with sweetness.

"Good morning, Grandma!" Zane and Jasmine chirped in unison.

"Good morning, sweethearts. Renee, you’re up so early?" Rhea Dempsey chuckled. "I was just on my way to see if Zane and Jasmine were awake."

Renee Jennings nodded. "Yeah, I got up a little early today. Is Sis awake yet?"

"Bella’s not awake yet," Rhea Dempsey said. "Let her sleep in a bit. I’ll go get her later."

"Let’s have Zane and Jasmine go wake her."

"Alright. But let’s go downstairs for breakfast first."

After breakfast, Renee Jennings took Zane and Jasmine upstairs to wake Diana Jennings, but they found her already washed up and about to head downstairs.

"Sis, good morning! You’re up," Renee Jennings said, her face breaking into a sweet smile.

"Renee, morning," Diana Jennings said softly. Her gaze fell upon the two children, and an uncontrollable wave of sorrow and guilt washed over her. "Zane, Jasmine, good morning."

Zane and Jasmine replied in their sweet, childish voices, "Good morning, Mommy!"

Then, they raised their little hands above their heads to form a heart, their faces beaming with the same signature sweet smile as Renee.

A warmth spread through Diana Jennings’s heart. The corners of her lips curled upward as she chuckled, "I’ve received a big heart from Zane and Jasmine."

She reached out with both hands as if to catch it, then tucked them into her pockets. "And I’m putting it in my pocket to keep it safe."

Seeing their mommy smile, Zane and Jasmine were overjoyed.

’Auntie’s plan really works! Mommy’s smiling!’

The two children glanced secretly at their aunt.

Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow at them as if to say, ’See? Auntie didn’t lie to you.’

She then turned to Diana Jennings. "Sis, are you going to work today?"

"No." Diana Jennings shook her head. "I took the day off. I have other things planned."

As they were going downstairs, she whispered in Renee Jennings’s ear, "I also called the school to give Zane and Jasmine the day off. I need to go to the kindergarten today."

Renee Jennings guessed what she was planning to do. "I’ll go with you," she offered.

Diana Jennings replied, "Okay."

Before they left, Diana Jennings looked at the two children with gentle eyes. "You get another day off today, a special treat. Mommy and Auntie are going to buy you a cake, so be good and listen to Grandma while we’re gone, okay?"

"Don’t worry, Mommy," Zane said with an obedient expression. "I’ll take good care of my sister and Grandma!"

Jasmine nodded her head vigorously. "Jasmine will be good! You don’t have to worry, Mommy!"

"You’re both so wonderful." A smile played across Diana Jennings’s face.

**

The black sedan sped down the road.

Renee Jennings gripped the steering wheel, her thin brows knitted together and her expression grim. "Sis, did you ask the teacher to have Zoe Archer’s parents come in?"

Diana Jennings replied softly, "I sent the teacher a message a little while ago, but she hasn’t responded yet. She’s probably busy."

"Okay." Renee Jennings nodded.

After they arrived at the kindergarten gate and filled out the visitor registration form at the security booth, Zane and Jasmine’s homeroom teacher, Teacher Yardley, happened to approach.

"Zane and Jasmine’s guardians, good morning." Teacher Yardley was a young woman with her long hair tied in a high ponytail. Her smile was warm and full of energy.

"Teacher Yardley, good morning," Diana Jennings greeted her politely. Renee Jennings, however, just stared at the teacher coldly.

Unsure why they had suddenly shown up, Teacher Yardley led them to her office.

"Zane and Jasmine’s guardians, please have some water." Teacher Yardley placed two paper cups of warm water in front of them.

"Thank you," Diana Jennings said.

Teacher Yardley’s gaze shifted between the two women as she made pleasant small talk. "You must be Zane and Jasmine’s aunt, then? You two sisters look so much alike."

Diana Jennings gave a faint smile but didn’t take the bait. Instead, she said gently, "Teacher Yardley, we’re actually here today because we’d like to understand something."

Teacher Yardley adopted a serious, attentive expression. "Of course. Please, go on."

Diana Jennings said, "Before Zane and Jasmine even started here, I told you that we are a single-parent family. Do you recall that, Teacher Yardley?"

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